What's Up! Magazine - October 2011. Artwork by Madi Nupcharoen

Usually I would say something cutesy here. For example, I was going to tell the story on how I was grounded when I was 10 for requesting Offspring’s “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” instead of Britney Spear’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time” (like I told my mom I would) on a radio station. But there’s too much going on, too much to talk about!

THINGS ARE A BREWIN’

First, something that everyone’s been waiting to officially hear, JINX Art Space will be re-opening its doors under new ownership! Make.Shift took over the lease and purchased the business from Michelle Schutte and Django Bohren late spring. After many pizza work parties involving dry walling, painting, sweeping, and many other “slight modifications,” the space is done. On Oct. 7, the doors will officially open for Art Walk and the theme is “The Black Forest: Fear and Nature.” Along with the many artists showing off their work, the Bellingham Circus Guild will be there along with Bar Tabac. I hope anyone that has been to an Art Walk at JINX or to a show happens to take some time on Oct. 7 and go check out the work that community members have put many hours of their summer into.

And then (drum roll please!), Whatcom All Ages Arts and Music (WhAAM) will also be part of JINX Art Space! WhAAM will be hosting all of the shows, as JINX will continue to be an all ages venue in Bellingham. The organization has taken the time off it needed to regroup and reorganize itself. It’s looking for new staff members and volunteers so if anyone is interested in doing anything then just head over to whaam.org. The first show is on Oct. 13 with Oakland’s Big Kids, Seattle’s Jason Clackley and the Exquisites, along with Bellingham’s own So Adult and Livingston Seagull. The official grand opening will happen on Saturday Oct. 22 with No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Candysound, and Bright Weapons. Halloween’s my favorite though. I love me some cover bands! The Misfits, Black Sabbath, and The Ramones will grace the stage on Saturday, Oct. 29. I love it!

Another new development is the purchase of The Nightlight space. For those newbies of Bellingham let me do a naive attempt at explaining The Nightlight to you. The Nightlight was this really cool bar/ club that is huge inside. There were two pool tables, a ping pong table, an amazing sound system, a personal short/wide stage, and the sweetest lay out. But it is big. Amazing shows have happened there. Right before I turned 21, I missed my roommate open up for Shonen Knife (I was five days short of being 21). There were problems with ownership, problems with money, etc. the story can go on but it doesn’t matter. The fact is that the Nightlight had become, after a while, just another empty building. Every time you walked by the space, your soul would just cry for its loss. Well, Brian Tines (owner of The Royal, Bellingham Bar and Grill, and Big Fat Fish Co, and the former Fairhaven, which recently closed) purchased the lease. You might have heard from Cascadia Weekly’s beautiful Carey Ross, but he has no plan of opening as a music venue and will call the club space The Underground, opening Oct. 5. Personally, I have no problem with this. As much as it saddens me to see the potential of a venue turn into something else, I have no power over it and I’m sure he’ll do something great that serves a niche in Bellingham’s business community that’s missing. The only thing that I’m not looking forward to is confusing the Underground Coffeehouse on Western’s campus with this Underground.

Moving along the alleyway and on to Cap Hansen’s Tavern, Sept. 30 was the last day of ownership for John and Liz Krusenstiern. Aaron Roeder will be the new owner and word is that he plans on having music more often in the bar. I love this idea. I’m excited. I don’t remember a single time disliking a show that I saw there. I say bring on more sweaty, overcrowded, seat standing show nights at Cap’s any time!

Now let’s move up the street and take a right heading towards the location of the new Green Frog Acoustic Tavern, opening soon. Not only will they be serving different forms of liquids than before, but they also plan on continuing their legacy of having fantastic shows! Stay tuned for their official opening. Something I’m looking forward to personally: their rooftop deck.

ON THE RECORD

New subject, new topic: FULL FRONTAL ASSAULT! If anyone has seen their DVD, it’s awesome, and let it be known that I want a copy. Their full length disc is coming out soon according to Bobby Savage. Both Chris Nelson and New Regard Media are going to put it out. I can’t believe that those boys have time for this. Next to Devilry, Phreddie and the Nightmares, Ball Bereth, and Leatherhorn, and you thought Brent Cole was busy.

Odd Ones Out are making their way through Washington. They recently played at a Mojo Music showcase at Boundary Bay and will also be part of the SurfRider Benefit at Boundary Bay on Oct. 8. The band is also going to be recording an EP at Binary Recordings before the end of the year! These are some busy guys for all being younger than 14 years old.

Dog Shredder is currently working on getting their second EP out this year. Originally, the band was going to have a full length, but now they plan on releasing two EPs. They’re recording with Adam Pike at the Toadhouse in Portland and supposedly it is “brutal.” I don’t know Josh, prove it. I can’t wait till they start recording a full length next year!

David Ney is also working on releasing his solo record that’s going to be titled Blackened. The release will come with a 7-inch and a 12-inch packaged together with a 100 limited run pressed. Look out in October for a kickstarter for the funds for this Will Smith Bad Boy.

Speaking of Bad Boys, the dudes in Keaton Collective are getting ready for their third album release! They will be releasing a single on Oct. 30 at The Shakedown, which is just so 2011 of them. The full length will be presented to the world on Jan. 1, 2012.

COMINGS & GOINGS

A somewhat sad ending has happened in Bellingham, or maybe perhaps just a new chapter. Yogoman Burning Band are going on a break. You don’t even have to be a native of Bellingham to know and understand what Yogoman means for Bellingham. They played a forgotten cancelled show at the Bellingham Bay Marathon Finish Line Festival towards the end of September. The band will be looking for bass guitar, keyboard, trombone, trumpet, sousaphone or saxophone members to add to the crew. If interested you can contact Jordan Rain. But one thing’s for sure; it’s not New Years Eve in Bellingham with out Yogoman Burning Band. That’s one thing that we can depend on in this ever-changing town.

Zorbatron is also supposedly done for the time being. According to Josh Holland, the band is currently not practicing or has anything booked. Maybe we’ll see them again in another six years? I hope it’s much sooner than that…

I feel like it’s not a le beat write up with out the mention of Teo Crider somewhere. That boy is always up to something! He is now playing solo around town under the moniker of Porch Party. Look out for him in a caf near you!

A group of local musicians have been putting together a compilation series called Your Songs Here. Each compilation has a theme. The first one was Space and Volume. Volume Two, which was just released, is about hometowns. All of these songs are available through BandCamp and any artist is allowed to send in songs and be part of the comp! The holiday volume should be really fun to hear!

Johnny V has officially left Bellingham, and when someone leaves for Russia for two years, comes the handling of certain belongings. The classic and Bellingham known “Mount Vernon Church of Nazarene” van (formerly possessed by Clickpop/ The Trucks/ Rooftops) now belongs to the former Bellingham-ite Clyde Peterson of Your Heart Break/Boating with Clyde/ and Cold Lake. Things that stay with the family are always good in my book.

RAD TIEMES

If October doesn’t get you thrilled with the beautiful fallen leaves then maybe dancing does. Every Halloween, Bellingham puts on their dead zombie-like apparel and Michael Jacksons their way down the streets for Thrillingham. This year the performances will be held in Fairhaven (7:30 p.m.) and at Maritime Heritage Park (9 p.m.). Check out the Facebook page for details.

Trailer Wars is coming to the end of another year. It is time once again for the 2nd annual Trailer aWARds. On Oct. 5 at the Pickford, you can expect the town getting in its finest and awarding those writers with the best lines, the best costumes, best romantic scene, and of course, the trailer of the year. Good luck to all of those nominated and let the best trailer win!

Also in the upcoming days is the first (of hopefully many) Ham Country Revival Fest. From Oct. 6-8, country music will be taking over downtown Bellingham spreading over many venues. From the Honey Moon to the Blue Horse Gallery, from McKay’s to Cap’s. The festival includes all ages venues and bars (no complaining here you young-yons!) More information about performances and dates can be found online.

AS POP and Underground Coffeehouse are off to a strong start this year. Over 1,200 people attended the free Ra Ra Riot and The Globes show. Then on Oct. 11, Young The Giant will be on campus along with Kithkin! Then at the Underground Coffeehouse, Nick Drummond (former member of The Senate) and Tyler Carson will be perfoming along with Jenna Freeman on Oct. 5.

THANKS & CONTGRATS

Thanks to young artist and local resident Madi Nupcharoen for contributing this month’s cover art. She’s been painting for two years, and also did the artwork for Studio Galactica’s ad. Way to go kid!

Congratulations go to Paul Turpin and Krissa Woiwood for having their first daughter, Harriett Kay Woiwod Von Turpin. The baby came into the world on time, healthy, and looking awesome. Krissa and Paul, congratulations again, Harriet is beautiful and has a great Bellingham family to help raise her.

A soon congratulations to Brent and Becca! The Cole family is expecting a new baby in the family any day. Knowing their other two kids, this one will definitely be metal. Not only that but the family adopted a puppy named Roxy; a new baby and a puppy, why not? Let it be known that I’m down to baby sit anytime… the puppy at least.

That’s it for the Le Beat for October, my favorite time of the year in Bellingham. Wearing two light jackets and kicking the fallen bright colored leaves, there’s seriously nothing like it. I’m fortunate to have grown up and lived her here for nearly 10 years. But after job-hunting since I graduated in spring, and the current job market, I am fortunate enough to have been offered a job in Seattle and will be making my voyage down south. I’ll still be up here for the music, friends, and the parents nearly every weekend. I’ll never have a “last weekend in Bellingham” party. Thank you to everyone who has helped me out when in need, fed me, given me jobs, taught me a lesson, or told me that waking up at 5 a.m. to run Taylor Stairs is a “healthy thing to do.”

Thanks Bellingham, I’ll see you at the shows!

- Casey Nolan

What's Up! September 2011 - Painting by Andrea Heimer, text by Austin Santiago

Hey guys and gals! So The Cole family is busy adding an additional member to their family so Brent asked for some help with the Le Beat. And like last time, I promise to do my best!

First of all, since it is September, I want to give a big welcome to all the new residents of Bellingham and the returnees that are back for school. Also, hello to all of the parents or siblings that might have picked up the magazine trying to figure out where you just dropped off a member of your family to “grow up and mature as adults.” Bellingham is a great city and Whatcom County is a fantastic place to explore and participate in. There are many small local businesses (Bellingham really gets stoked on them) as well as a great art and music scene. This is one of the many great resources to find when and where everything is happening. Coming from a person that just graduated Western this past Spring, there’s a piece of wisdom I want to give: participate in everything you can manage time for. Go to the Underground Coffeehouse and see a group/artist that you have never heard before. Go to shows and support your local all ages music scene. Bellingham also has fantastic art walks downtown that happen every first Friday of the month. Basically what I’m trying to say is the walk from campus to downtown isn’t that far… so GET OFF THE HILL. You’ll be happy that you did. Trust me.

Now for the beginning rants of the le beat… where we find out what’s going on and who’s to blame for everything.

ON THE ROAD

Since it is still summer, there are plenty of bands that just got back or are just leaving for tour.

Lamppost Revival went on the road for a bit in the Make.Shift van this past month. Based on the pictures that I saw on the ol’ Facebook looks like they had a great time. Also on the road was Palisades, who spent half a month down the coast and back. On Aug. 30 they ended up having a quadruple welcome-back home show joined with Cat From Hue, Candysound and So Adult for an all ages event at The Old Foundry. The Cat From Hue and Candysound tour sounded like it was something else. Their van ended up dying on the 1,100-mile trek up to Portland from Santa Cruz, which made the bands miss their Portland show. Boys, I’ve been there. And I can say it sucks. But look at it this way: the van only cost you $11 to get it going again. Could have been way worse!

Devotion, a band that is part Vancouver/Bellingham/Seattle, is currently on a full US and Canadian tour. The crew should be back in Bellingham Oct. 1 at The Old Foundry for an all ages show with GIVE, and Livingston Seagull.

PRND is going on tour this September too. Party van down the coast!

Also worth mentioning is the tour currently being planned by the great Tearamanapart. Those boys are thinking big and different. They plan on heading east in the beginning of November. Hope the Farmer’s Almanac is in favor with you guys when it comes to crossing those mountain passes!

No-Fi Soul Rebellion is coming up on their 10th anniversary (wowa-weez-a)! The duo will be playing a few dates in Washington before heading to Missoula and then eventually ending their travel stint on Sept. 9th at The Shakedown. I can’t believe that both Mark and Andrea Heimer have been going at it for this long. Congratulations you two! I know one thing for sure; I definitely never want to see that infamous green #10 jersey under a black light…

COMINGS AND GOINGS

Plant Party’s drummer Matt Omdal is moving to Seattle. Their last show with Mat was with Cara Alboucq and Jenni Potts at The Shakedown on Aug. 31.

Rookery is taking a break. Ryan Greer is going on a road trip for a bit. Fortunately, I was FINALLY able to catch them during the Wastelanders’ show and hot damn I can’t wait to hear those recordings that Rich Canut did with them. Not only did they sound great, but also they were just entertaining to watch.

Another show that was great was the eminent Johnny McIntyre farewell fest featuring Johnny McIntyre as himself, Moons and Goochers, and Rooftops. I’m so glad that this show happened on a Sunday. On Sundays at the Shakedown they play local music before sets, so when Narrows was playing, well, the atmosphere just couldn’t have been any better.

Now, I did hear some people say that they didn’t believe that this would be Rooftops’ last show (they’ve had nearly three of them now). But I have strong feelings that this past show had a little more significance. Why you might ask? Well, Russia is a lot farther than Chicago.

Also in August was Savage Henry’s last show. They played at Glow along with Lumpkins and Pattern Language on Aug. 22. Talk about a band that’s lasted a while. I remember Savage Henry playing at the first What’s Up! All-Ages Award Show at The Old Foundry along with Connecticut Four, The Russians, and Idiot Pilot. The band will surely be missed.

Last but not least, the Nathan Cox (of Bellingham State of Mind song fame) is moving to Seattle in October. He’s decided to make the great and daring trek down south to create and start new adventures. Good luck Nathan!

ON THE RECORD

As mentioned last le beat, Todos Somos Lee’s official full-length release is happening Sept. 14 at The Shakedown. I’m excited, as you should be too. Peter Hilleary did a great job on the production of the album. Peter’s work can also be heard on the Devilry recordings, slightly released this past month. Three songs are up for sale from the boys and are a preview of the full-length that is due any time now. If you want to know more about this delectable metal treat, you can find a song online.

Also online are new songs from Palisades. It’s really cool to see a band grow and develop so much in a very short amount of time. I can’t recommend enough of these guys. If you find your listening habits a little stagnant lately–look them up.

Ship to Ship also has music online which is perfect listening to as well. They’ll be playing with Todos Somos Lee and Falling Upstairs (who is also in the studio recording with Pat Gay) on Sept. 14 at The Shakedown.

And last but not least everyone can look forward to a Heligoats record coming out soon! Word on the street is that recording will start in September.

END OF SUMMER-ISH

One thing about living in a college town is that during the summer, a majority of things are pretty relaxed. But the first weekend back, everyone wants a good party. This year’s opening weekend of school being back in session is not any different. Where should the fun start this year? Well, the always-favorite Blue Scholars are coming back in town for the weekend I like to call “school’s back in session so let’s have a bunch of great shows happen all at the same time!” The group will be doing a two-night party at The Wild Buffalo on the 23rd and the 24th.

Murder By Death is playing Sept. 21 at The Shakedown. The openers and support have yet to be announced, but does it really matter?

Also on the 24th are The Cute Lepers (used to be The Briefs) along with Something Fierce and So Adult.

On campus, ASPOP will be having an outdoor show with Ra Ra Riot and The Globes on the Communications Lawn (formerly known as the big green space to play frisbee) on Sept. 22.

Also confirmed recently was Young the Giant happening on Oct. 11. Last but not least, Eclecticity and the Learning Team will be playing a free, all-ages, back to school show at The Old Foundry on Sept. 24. Staying in side, ordering delivery pizza (which I just did for the first time! Amazing!) is not an option for this weekend.

VENUES

Some of our local music venues are in the midst of a transition period. Green Frog Acoustic Tavern is in the midst of a move and remodel, and opening soon at the new location at 1015 N. State St. The Ridge Winery, which is next door to the future Green Frog Acoustic Tavern, will be adjusting their live music routine this month details to be announced. The Fairhaven, after 10 years, unfortunately has closed, and Stuart’s Coffeehouse will also be closing later this month.

If you are a parent, there is a cool new place to take your kids, opening up on Sept. 17 with a grand opening on Oct. 1. The Time and Play Cafe will be located on Holly, just up from State Street in the old YMCA building. There will be local art, a cool cafe for those who don’t have kids and an amazing (and HUGE) play area for those with kids. It’s a much needed space for this town and families are looking forward to it.

GOOD TIMES

The Lookout’s 4th Annual Off-Road Soap Box Derby Shbang! Vaudevillingham will be happening on Sept. 15. Personally, I didn’t know off-road derby existed, but the vision of what I think this event looks like, makes me definitely put this on my events calendar.

School of Rock Portland announced that they will be performing Dog Shredder’s “Boss Rhino” at their modern prog-rock showcase on Sept. 3. You know you’ve made it when teenagers spend hours alone in their room studying your tabs. I hope someone records this performance; it would be great to see if the kids make the same Holland-style thrash moves.

Another show worth noting is Marcy Playground, playing at The Wild Buffalo again on Sept. 2 with Black Beast Revival and Olio.

Local hip hop group The Bad Tenants recently worked with Darkheart Visions to create a music video for their song “When I’m Back.” I haven’t seen the video, but supposedly it is a story about four hitchhikers going through Whatcom County. If you want the chance to see the video on the big screen, the Pickford Film Center will feature a viewing of the video on Sept. 11 at 8:30 p.m.

Also don’t forget about the annual “Best Of Bellingham” in the Cascadia Weekly these upcoming few weeks. The categories are a plenty and there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t give credit to those individuals and businesses that help you make it through the year!

Last but not least, I need to talk about a fine young man. He’s a great guy. Really. His name is Kevin Lee. On Oct. 6-8, Kevin is planning a country music festival in downtown Bellingham. Shows will be happening in a variety of venues and so far there are 16 bands booked! I’m not sure what this festival is called yet, but what I do know is that I’m okay with the image of me eating a vegan pumpkin pie on a barrel of hay watching some country music in downtown Bellingham. The leaves will be turning color; a light jacket can be worn comfortably… That’s right fall… bring it on!

Maybe all the gray skies were getting folks down, or maybe everyone was burnt out from finals, but the turnout for this Saturday show was a little sparse and a lot sleepy. Luckily, this case of the blahs didn’t afflict the bands themselves.

The show started off with the instrumental duo, Ship to Ship. I’m sorry to say I hadn’t seen these guys play before and would now like to build a time machine to travel back to all of their previous shows. Ship to Ship consists of a bassist and a drummer who use keyboards and looping/mixer/delay gear to seamlessly create layer upon layer of sound. The result is that your eyes see two incredible musicians play while your ears hear six incredible musicians play. Magic. Drummer Shea Hagan hits harder than any drummer I’ve ever seen, even half-standing at one point to pound the skins. Chris Scherer’s use of a five-string bass further helped to round out the sound. Scherer was also the master manipulator of the looping, mixing gear. How he manages to keep track of which pedals and buttons to push is beyond me, but I’m guessing he also has the technical know-how to build me my time machine. Ship to Ship doesn’t play very often, so if you see a show coming up, jump on it.

After a bit of delay (pun!) for the removal of Ship to Ship’s mass of equipment, Grenades took the stage. The Seattle post-hardcore-ish band, including former members of Kane Hodder, plays loud. Very, very loud. During sound check, bassist Aaron Yost teased us with a headless bass but ended up putting that away for the show. Yost also provided half of the vocals (split with guitarist Jerome Sauer) and seemed to pour every fiber of his being into his screams. Grenades obviously is supposed to be loud, but unfortunately the volume was just too high for my tinnitus-stricken ears to differentiate between sounds. With my ears overwhelmed, I found myself staring at the drum set, which was lit electric blue like a jellyfish. Hopefully these guys will make their way back up to the Ham soon so I can hear them under better sound circumstances.

Next up was the always impressive Dog Shredder. Chances are good that you’ve already seen them and know how amazing they are. Despite working through some feedback and monitor issues, this night was no exception. The metal-tinged hard rock band plays songs of epic length and yet manages to make every note fall into place with razor precision. Guitarist/singer Josh Holland, who recently returned from touring with Hyro Da Hero, is a natural frontman. He exudes more energy in a one-hour set than I do in an entire year. At the risk of sounding like a complete dork, I find the consistency of Dog Shredder’s sets to be very comforting. Whenever they are on the bill, I know it’s going to be a great show.

What's Up! Magazine Cover - July 2011. Artwork by Jessica Lynch / Slow Loris

Oh my sexy friends, welcome to summer. Try to keep your clothes on while going to shows. Helps us all out.

Thanks to the kind folks at Glow as well as Polecat, Jenni Potts with IG88, Bloodshot with Raw Jawz, Keaton Collective and a special guest, What’s Up! will be having a benefit on Wednesday, July 27 which is really cool, ‘cuz we can use the cash. We run a pretty bare bones operations (to say the least) and when advertising crashes out, as it has this summer (and often does during the summer), it can be a bit of a problem. Thankfully, in a time of need, the community steps forward and helps us out ya’ll have in the past and we hope you do again. It’s going to be a big show, we’ll see ya there. And thank you in advance.

Also, as a side note, a lot of bands are releasing new recordings, and when I say a lot, I mean, “Good God I’ve never seen this happen in town.” So, a few of you have been asking if your recording will be reviewed. We are not ignoring them, there are just A LOT of new recordings out right now. We try and review every CD we get and if we don’t, it might have slipped through the cracks. We’ve decided to expand the review section from two to three pages to get more reviews out each month, but as of right now, we still have approximately 30 recordings that need to be reviewed. Some of them are fantastic too (Erin Corday, I’m looking in your direction), so hang tight. They’re coming.

COMINGS & GOINGS

A couple of lifelong Bellingham musicians will be moving out of town soon both of whom have greatly contributed to the music scene over the years and have been friends. First off, Daniel Anderson will be moving to Los Angeles in September into the swanky Brentwood area and paying less than he does in Bellingham. It always bums me out when folks leave town, but this move just kinda makes sense. (And Daniel swears he’s saving money and working at buying a house back up in Bellingham in a few years. We hold him to it.)

The other big name leaving town is Brad Lockhart, who graduated from Western with a design degree and, gasp, received a job with it. Unfortunately, it’s in Seattle. As of press time, I haven’t heard the official word on the future of the Baltic Cousins, but I’ve seen bands spread farther and continue, so I’ve gotta assume they’ll be rolling along. They’re a damn good band, so I hope so.

Jake Hemming of Big Sur (and big awesomeness) will also be moving to Seattle. I’m sorry to see all three of these guys go they’ve all contributed largely to the music scene in different ways. But, that’s the way this town goes (the life of a college town) a lot of people move away and right now the next wave of musicians who will rock our world is just getting started in some crappy band, playing crappy music with hints of something special. As they learn how to play, those hints will become what entertains us for a while.

Looks like Josh Holland made one hell of an impression on the Hyro da Hero folks because they want him back for additional tours. Jay Clark will be back on guitar, so Josh is going to play bass and it sounds like for a while. The next tour will hit the East Coast and then travelling the world from there. One month on, one month off schedule. The downside to Josh’s rock ‘n’ roll stardom? Zorbatron and Dog Shredder two of my favorite Bellingham bands are both on the backburner. Prior to their most recent show, Zorbatron said it’ll be the last one for “a while.” Hopefully Josh will rock local bands during the months he’s home.

The other day, I met one of the guys in Falling Upstairs, Ryan Wapnoski. He seemed like a nice guy, we started chatting about music a bit (briefly, since I was in line at the co-op). Turns out his band is absolutely amazing murder jazz is the genre they call themselves, but they’re obviously inspired by Jill Brazil (old school Bellingham band who played ridiculous music). Crazy, screwed up music something this town doesn’t have nearly enough of. What’s my point? Cool dude, cool band definitely the best part of this job. Ryan also plays in Pan Pan and has joined up with Strongbow Jerns and Matt Curtis to form Chambers. The new wave of the music scene.

Well, the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern is “on vacation,” right now. I like to call it a vacation, because I know right now owner James Hardesty is reading this saying, “vacation, this isn’t any f***ing vacation!” In all seriousness, Hardesty is hard at work fixing up the new location of the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern, which will be conveniently located next to the Ridge Winery at 1015 State Street (The Ridge, by the by, has been putting on some great shows). As of press time, there is no official word as to when James will reopen, but when he does, he will have a much cooler place (which is saying something, ‘cuz his old place was pretty cool), a bit bigger capacity, and a deck. It doesn’t overlook the bay or anything, but it’s outside and beer always tastes better outside (if the Shawshank Redemption taught me anything). Plus, if he can make the master plan work (we’re talkin’ “in the future,”) it’s going to be absolutely epic. But, for now, we’ll settle for awesome.

WhAAM and Make.Shift have found a new home and it’s Jinx! Watch for details about the transformation, which officially occurs on July 1, but in the mean time, Jinx will be hosting their final event on July 2, a formal prom. The evening includes music from Beach Boys II Men (cover band with some of your favorite pop musicians), a BBQ, circus performers, photos by Morgan Ellis, corsages by Aireekah Laudert and a repeat performance of Zach Zinn in his tent (which is a lot less creepy than it sounds). It’s going to be one hell of a night to say goodbye!

Just a couple months ago, Bellingham was a one screen indie theater kind of town. Then, the awesome new double screen theater opened up. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Pickford Film Center, especially Michael Faulter, the old Pickford has been revamped and reopened as The Limelight. Better sight lines and more leg room who doesn’t love that!? The theater promises to have a looser format and are currently showing a bunch of old grindhouse films. Expect it to be home to more local film works like Trailer Wars. Support independent movies!

It appears Tender Situation, the Ween cover band and the Jebs, the loose Minutemen cover band, have combined forces to make Jeb’s Tender Situation a Mr. Bungle cover band. Actually, the two bands, which share the same members, have decided to just go by the Jebs and will now begin playing more originals. Pretty talented bunch of dudes, no reason not to write their own songs.

ON THE ROAD

I ran into Lucas Hicks at the Bellingham Farmers Market the other day and he mentioned, among other things, that the Gallus Brothers will be headed back to Alaska for nine days in August. Nine days in Alaska in August? Yep, that sounds damn cool. I known the past the boys have been hugely popular on their AK tours, so this time should be much of the same.

Speaking of tours… did Bowlcut have a rough one last month. You can read about the full escapades in this month’s Tales from the Road (page 34), but I’ll wet your whistle with these three little nuggets: flat tire outside of Portland (in the middle of the night), their van died in central California, and Casey “Queen of the kickass” Nolan had a LONG Greyhound ride home. Frankly, one of the worst tour stories I’ve heard but that’s part of why you do it for the experience. Even if they suck! Good job for sticking with it the best you can.

I haven’t heard the official scene, but I know Cat From Hue are in the middle of a tour right now and hitting some real bumps in the road.

So Adult are headed out on a 10-day tour at the end of the month with Jason Clackley and the Exquisites. The tour’s kick off will be at Jinx (same great name, new great owners) and the band is threatening to have a new split take with Jason for sale. The tape is kind of a way to buy some time while they finish their album (recorded by Jackson Long, whose day job is being the drum tech for Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie). If you’ve checked out Pollstar lately, they’ve been on the road a lot, so it’s been tough for the band to finish the goods. I am told “soon” though.

BOOKED & HOOKED

Downtown Sounds will begin on July 6 with performances by the March Fourth Marching Band and Lucky Brown, and run every Wednesday on Bay Street. I could go into how awesome it’ll be, but you should just take my word for it and show up. Great shows every week, with a beer garden and stuff for the kids it’s pretty much got it all. Check out the full schedule at downtownbellingham.com/downtownsounds/.

ON THE RECORD

Dog Shredder will be releasing a new full length album in the summer or fall. Wish I had more concrete details than that (it will be called Doorbell Volume) but when it comes out, I imagine, it’ll be awesome. Not sure if you’ve all figured this out, but I really like this band.

Kit Nelson has begun working on her latest and greatest recording. She recorded something a while back, but didn’t end up releasing a lot (nearest I can tell). So, this will be her debut recording and since she has a sonically awesome voice and great talent, I assume it’ll be great. At this point, I’m just waiting…

Skagit County’s The Daffodils, which features members of Language Arts (for those of us over 35 who remember that band) will be recording a new album with Bruce Harvie out on Orcas Island. They’ll actually be in Olga, right down the road from Doe Bay, a place I like to call nirvana. Spent a couple days out there last month with the family it’s pure heaven. I couldn’t imagine a better place to record some good pop songs.

Envision have released a new album of brutal, sonic skull crushing music, or so I’ve been told. Mr. Awesome, Joe Olmstead, hasn’t gotten me the goods yet (hint, hint). He’s not in the band or anything, just my “connect.”

Torero’s debut is out and, as you expect, it’s heavy as hell and awesome. Check out their bandcamp page to hear the goods. (Actually, ya know, there’s a ton of great music on the bandcamp Bellingham tag, so, get on it! Listen!)

Before I sign off for this month, I want to mention a few things. First off, if you can find a recording by the band Medelicioius (Bellingham, circa 1993), grab it and love it. The drummer Johnny Catt from Fanny Alger, got me the goods and I fell in love with the band all over again. One of the best, that’s for sure. Second, on a totally different note, when the magazine started in 1998, bands didn’t tour very often, nor did they record a ton. Now things couldn’t be further from that time. Well done, Bellingham! Well done.

Happy birthday to our daughter Ruby, our 4th of July girl , and to our son Harrison, who shares a birthday with momma on the 26th.

Hugs and kisses, Brent

editor@whatsup-magazine.com

What's Up! Magazine Cover - June 2011. Artwork by Derek VanderGriend

Hey hey hey. Welcome to the June issue of le Beat – where we talk about how damn cool this town is.

Not a lot to report on the What’s Up! front this month, other than we REALLY need some more ads! So, ya know, get on that! Great rates, and ya know people are reading it, because you are! It’s as simple as that, really. If you’ve been on the fence about advertising, especially if you’re in a band, please get a hold of us (brent@whatsup-magazine.com). Just think about this if you’ve got a show, and it’s a three-band bill, each band can chip in $15 and publish an ad that will get more folks to your show. If you get another 10 people at the show because of the ad, then it’s paid for itself and you’re making money! It’s that easy! Boom goes the dynamite.

Annnnddddd to the music.

BIG NEWS

The big (and damn exciting) news this month centers on the likes of Josh Holland (of Dog Shredder fame), who has been added to the Hyro Da Hero tour, thanks to guitarist (and Bellingham ambassador) Daniel Anderson. Hyro’s other guitarist, Jay Clark (formerly of Pretty Girls Make Graves), was hospitalized while the band is out on a UK tour, leaving them in need of a guitarist with some HUGE shows coming up including the Download Festival in front of 45,000 people and dates opening for the WU-Tang Clan. So, this morning (it’s Monday the 30th), Josh boarded a plane headed to Scotland (a day after he found out he’d be heading out on tour) where he will meet up with the band, have a two-hour rehearsal and play a show in Manchester in front of more than 1,000 people at a sold out show. Knowing Josh, he’ll kill it there are few people in town as badass of a guitarist and person as he is, and I couldn’t be more excited for him and this opportunity.

I think a lot should also be said about Daniel Anderson bringing him on board they could have easily gone with an LA gunslinger, but Daniel showed the band Dog Shredder videos and convinced them to take a chance on a talented, but unknown guitarist, for possibly the biggest show of his life. There’s something to be said about that. Daniel has always talked about his love of Bellingham and the music scene and he showed his love by giving a local one hell of an opportunity.

Seriously, just think about Hyro’s two guitarists will be from the Bellingham music scene. Daniel and Josh will be opening up for the WU-Tang Clan, and playing the Download Festival on the same stage as Danzig (and on the same day as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and The Darkness). I don’t give a crap what indie high horse you’re riding, that is unbelievably amazing. Good luck guys!

It should be noted, that while Josh is about to have this crazy opportunity, going from a shitty van and shows in front of a 100 people to a plus bus and shows in front of a 1,000+, Daniel Anderson has been doing this after day for the last two weeks and most of the month prior (when not at home). Daniel kind of gets lost in this, but he’s a pro now a real working musician who is playing with musicians and bands that have toured all over the world.

Hyro also features Paul Hinojos, formerly of At the Drive In, Sparta and The Mars Volta. Seriously. The Hyro album he co-wrote also included members of the Blood Brothers and At the Drive Inn – two legendary bands that Daniel Anderson is now a peer with. Daniel is a perfect example of what can happen when you devote your life to music, take risks and give it your all. And, be sober. That’s kind of a big one don’t drown your goals and musical skills in booze and there’s a lot to be said about that.

RECORDS & RELEASES

Speaking of Daniel Anderson, while out on tour, he’s managed to record the debut full length of his solo project, Glowbug, called Mr. Plastic. Though it’s only been out a week as of press time, it’s already getting great reviews from websites and a great plug from KNDD out of Seattle. I’d give my opinion on the new record, but ya’ll already know my love for Mr. Anderson and his music, so it’d be a bit redundant. I’ll just say “I love it, think you will too.” Go check it out on bandcamp.

Livingston Seagull and Bowlcut are headed out on a short West Coast tour in early June (just as Western gets out). Both bands will have new merch to sell. Livingston will be sporting a brand new single, while Bowlcut will have their debut demo. Look for a Tales from the Road from Bowlcut in an upcoming issue of the mag, as well as reviews of both recordings. Have fun, boys and girls! (See Bowlcut in this issue’s Pin-Up.)

Citizen Escape has been under the radar lately, but they’ll be back this summer with a new drummer and a new EP followed by a full length in the fall. Check out their new drummer debut on June 11 at The Fairhaven.

David Ney will be releasing his latest full length this fall, titled Blackened, on lp and digital format (that’s “long player” not “leatherpants”). David has been working on the album for three years and, according to him, it will be one of his finest artistic achievements (it’s gonna be hard topping Pirates R Us, which was awesome). Look for further information as the summer progresses, including the legendary kickstarter link to help pay for the project.

Last month, Cat From Hue won the Underground Coffeehouse’s Battle of the Bands, and this month, the band will be celebrating the release of an EP (as opposed to an LP) called, appropriately enough, Cat From Hue. I hadn’t caught the band until the coffeehouse show and I was really blown away by the dynamics of the band thoughtful and interesting songwriting, great musicianship, cool vocals. They’re a young band that, if they really hit the road like they should, could be interesting to watch over the next few years.

The Sweet Dominiques have released a new album. This is another band that’s been flying under the radar in town, but hopefully will catch on more soon. They are really good pop band with skilled musicians and a cool sound. Catch them at the Longhorn Saloon in Bow (which is awesome) on June 3. If you feel like a good road trip, check it out.

Semi-local (and epically huge everywhere) Death Cab for Cutie have released Codes and Keys as well as the DVD Live at the Mt. Baker Theatre. I got a sneak listen to Codes and Keys, and feel the band has become really comfortable in the studio (not like they weren’t before) and use it to build and create. As for the DVD, I tried like hell to get an advanced copy, but haven’t gotten my hands on it yet so look for reviews of both the CD and DVD in the July issue. Ya know, Death Cab was the first release we ever reviewed in this magazine (it was the band’s debut tape). Wild to think we’re both humming along after 13 years (though one of us has traveled a bit more and made a lot more money than the other).

Snug Harbor’s album is officially out, so expect a bunch of shows from the band this summer. They put a lot into the album and it shows, it’s pro all the way. Now, hopefully Will Glazier will take the band on the road, which is what ya do when yer good and you’ve got a good recording to boot. Actually, I know I’ve said this a million times, but hear me out all bands should hit the road, even if for a short while. No good local band ever became great without being on the road.

COMINGS & GOINGS

Camarojuana will be reuniting for a one off show on July 1 at the Shakedown. I think Charley McCoy (also of Sharpie fame) likes to get out and rock every six months or so and thank God he’s got Jeff Mitchell alongside him. I love that dude. Well, love both of ‘em. Not sure if Ryan Roullard will be joining them on bass, but, frankly, I love him too. Love, love, love, love all love with Camarojuana.

Timothy DenAdel (aka, Timmy Sunshine) will be heading to Seattle at the end of the month, marking the end of his Bellingham residency. I’m pretty disappointed he’s splitting checked out the Royal Sea last month and was damn impressed with the band. I really dug the sound.

Make.Shift is getting ready to paint their van and they need your help! Please go to http://www.makeshiftproject.com/ to see how you can volunteer. Also, if you are a band that’s looking to head out on tour, click on the “apply to use the magic van” link and learn how you can use it. Seriously, the van is available for local bands to use for out of town shows that thing should be booked up every day of the week! At least every weekend! Go! What are you waiting for?

Brad Lockart, of Baltic Cousins fame, has also gained a reputation as one of the town’s premier show poster designers (a lost art in my estimations). In celebration of his graduation from Western, Brad will be hosting an art show at Jinx in June, featuring 50 or so of his favorite posters as well as some of his illustrations, sculptures and photography, with the opening on June 3. Slated to play at the opening are Moons and Goochers, Lonebird and a special Neutral Milk Hotel cover band featuring Brad and friends.

Finally, as many of you already know via Facebook, my beautiful wife and I are expecting our third child in early October. I’d like to thank everyone for the well wishes it’s much appreciated. Watch for baby pictures in the November issue!

Enjoy all the happenings this month, and we’ll see you in July.

Brent

editor@whatsup-magazine.com

When: March 18

Where: The Shakedown

So, The Shakedown finally opened! Everyone is really excited (“Alright hipster, shuddup already”) and this show was an appropriate christening, especially with all the Harkonen 3B fliers pasted as standards to the, ahem, thrones. Here’s to many awesome shows in the future and everyone who made it possible. *swig*

Swayze, comprised of Lupe Flores, Don Stewart, and Mike Clam, was up first. Hard-pounding bass riffs rollick and lumber throughout their set against Flores’ slap-happy drumming. They alternate between mid-tempo hard-rock and shuddering breakdowns with the occasional chaotic ending. There was something lacking that I couldn’t put my finger on but I’m sure they’ll hammer it out. It was a good start for this new band and I look forward to hearing more.

Lozen was my favorite act of the night. Call and response vocals and syncopated rhythms conjured a primal feeling that I don’t hear from too many bands these days. Standing near the front produced a brain scrambling disorientation with guitar tones that broiled my innards. Drummer Justine Valdez and guitarist Hozoji Matheson-Margullis become indistinguishable from each other as their back-and-forth makes Lozen a cohesive monster larger than just the two of them. They’ll be back in April and everyone must attend.

Dog Shredder tore it up as usual with more than enough notes, starts and stops to make me puke. Hearing them through The Shakedown’s PA is a treat and it should be experienced by every local-music fan at least once… it might destroy you. As I write this they are on a West Coast tour with Lozen.

Who doesn’t love Ben Verellen? His bands, his amps, his lion roars… This night saw the reemergence of Harkonen in Bellingham as a part of a two-night reunion (I bet the Tacoma show was killer). There are more versed aficionados than me who will know about their trajectory from metallic post-hardcore to more noise-based material as well as all the times they played in Bellingham (see: the cover of their Dancing EP). What I can tell you is that they delivered and everyone (I’m pretty sure anyway) loved it. If you like mechanical riffs, if you like thick distorted bass, and if you like non-standard drumming, you like Harkonen. I like Harkonen.

Dog Shredder

Dog Shredder

Dog Shredder

Not long ago, there was a time when many old-blood Bellingham bands were hanging up the towel. Seemingly overnight, we lost many great bands as they decided that the course had been run and that it was time to call it quits. Though it is difficult to let go of the things we love, sometimes these breakups prove necessary in order to pave way for something more profound. Such is the case with the Cicadas, Bellingham’s premier progressive rock band. Though we mourn the loss, we now know it was the catalyst that created Dog Shredder and for that we are thankful

Fortunately Noah Burns and Josh Holland decided that their music history together was not finished. Following the dismantling of Cicadas they immediately began working on new material. Around this same time Jeff Johnson, of the late band The Russians, found himself free to explore other musical outlets, eventually settling into Dog Shredder’s missing role of bassist. Having had a completely different musical background and never previously worked with the others, Johnson was subject to an intense learning curve. “The music had a totally different feel,” Johnson smiles, “more intense, more classic rock.”

With the past firmly behind them, the members of Dog Shredder focus their efforts on the future. Collectively they see this project as a way to challenge themselves and consider it work well done when bemused fans approach post-set saying that they have never heard any music like Dog Shredder. Due to the long history of Burns and Holland working together, the relationship has deeply influenced the evolution of their music and helped combine the pieces necessary for this project. The result is a more refined sound than either had previously experienced. “Back in Cicadas we were just trying to do the coolest, weirdest shit,” Burns remarks, “Now we feel like we are more focused, more mature.” The sum is seen as greater than the parts.

It is extremely difficult to pigeon-hole Dog Shredder into a single musical style and you would be doing yourself a disservice by doing such. I don’ think I can get away with simply saying progressive rock/metal, but if you can imagine throwing the likes of Converge, Mastodon, Black Sabbath and No Means No with a sprinkle of Yes and Queen into a blender and pushing the highest-speed mixing option, you would end up with only a semblance of the sound of Dog Shredder. Though the band only consists of three members, they somehow achieve a level of sound that would give an octet a run for its money. It is no secret that the group proudly wears its influences on their collective sleeves, going so far as to seamlessly cover the technically stunning “Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes. Not bound to any one genre, Dog Shredder is not afraid to invoke the classic rock Gods of Old, while masterfully weaving elements of heavy metal, pop and noise.

When you see Dog Shredder live it becomes immediately apparent that they operate on a level that very few bands achieve. Not only do they very obviously wholeheartedly love the music they play, but the product itself is seamless. With a stunning display of technical prowess, the band consistently demonstrates their ability to effortlessly slip between radically different time signatures, various keys and the ability to stop completely in unison. “We like it to be airtight,” Holland comments, “but we only have so much time to get our point across.” And they succeed in making the most of it. Dog Shredder’s set is usually consistent of three to four songs, with a variety of noise effects and drum riffs to fill the space between.

The compounded effect is surprisingly reminiscent of watching a play or movie, rather than a band. Things are happening, but you are only capable of watching as the events unfold. Arranging and performing a series of songs is only half of Dog Shredder’s work. The band demands attention as it pulls you deeper and deeper into the world that they build brick by brick during each performance. As an artist that paints the landscape, so Dog Shredder paints the soundscape. The drums provide the earth on which you tread, the guitar is the open expanse of air and the space through which you move, and the bass is the flourish that is the trees, grass, sun and clouds which brings color to the surrounding landscape.

With a hastily recorded demo funded solely by beer as their only release, the forthcoming Boss Rhino EP will be considered Dog Shredder’s debut, with vinyl as the preferred medium. The twelve inch will house the title track on side A, followed by the aforementioned Yes cover on side B, with each song representing nearly equal parts of the 21-minute whole. The group also plans to include a CD copy in the package for those of you that tend to be more digitally inclined. The beautiful cover art features multi layered hand-screened graphic design work of local artist John Overly at Vessel Screenprinting Studio. The tracks were recorded and mixed in Portland by the honorable Adam Pike at Toadhouse Studios, adding to his already impressive roster that boasts the likes of Red Fang and Black Elk.

The group envisions these songs as part of a collection loosely based around the theme of animals. Song titles such as “Boss Rhino”, “Battle Snake”, and “Dog Shredder” make up only a handful of the total material that is currently available to the public, but you can rest assured that more tunes will find their way to the light.

Late in March the trio took off on a two-week tour with semi-local metal queens Lozen. Shortly after their return from the road, the month of May will find Dog Shredder playing two Starbird Promotions showcase sets. The first will be held in Seattle at the Chop Suey on May 6, followed by a show in Bellingham the next night. The group intends to take a break from playing shows and work on writing more material during the downtime. “I am sitting on a stockpile that I have been working on for a long time now,” Holland remarks. The band has set its sights on procuring a label as the next major goal.

Who knows exactly what the future holds for Dog Shredder, but with this amount of talent and determination, it is most sure to be bright.

For more information, including shows and the new demo, check out Dog Shredder’s website at dogshredder.blogspot.com. Also search YouTube for several fan posted videos.

What's Up! Magazine - April 2011. Artwork by Derek VanderGriend

Oh well hello, my friends. Welcome to another le beat, another month gone by, another issue of your favorite music magazine. It’s good to be here, thanks for picking us up.

Before we go into the full music mode, I just wanted to talk briefly about the issue date of the magazine. It’s been brought to my attention in the past that folks wonder when the issue is slated to come out, because it’s not always out on the first of the month. Well, frankly, we come out as close to the first as possible. We’re not your usual business with a decent budget and staff people. For those who don’t know, let me explain… We are working with a helluva small budget and small “staff” (and have been since we started 13 years ago), and if things come up that makes the timeline slide off the rails, then that’s how it goes. My wife and I not only run this magazine, we also operate two other free community publications serving Whatcom County (Grow Northwest and the Foothills Gazette) and raise our two awesome small children, who are with us in our home office, which is extremely rewarding (but also hilarious and chaotic at times, like just now as I write this my son was sitting next to me listening to some good LOCAL MUSIC, but then crawled under my office chair and hit the button that made it lower to the ground, and all of us laughed. “I am so funny,” he screamed!).

Like many small, independent businesses in our northwest corner, we are family-oriented, wear a lot of different hats, and work with a terribly small budget to keep our business operating. You do what you gotta do to keep going! And for anyone with kids, you know the winter months bring a lot of tummy bugs and a lot of germs, so in short what I am saying is that unfortunately, things sometimes don’t go as smoothly as we’d like when putting the paper together. The mag isn’t always out when we’d like, but it does always get out, and usually within a couple days of the first. Cool? Pick it up and enjoy. And, if anyone out there cares to complain or question any further, my wife says you can take it up with her. Good luck!

On another note, I’d like thank those who came to the What’s Up! 13th birthday party at the Cabin Tavern on March 28 and, most especially, Chris Gusta, Audra Robson and the Cabin folks for letting us have the party! A great crowd came out for a Monday night show and folks got to see one of my favorite bands, The Strange Boys, play a good Monday night set. Really dug seeing a show at the Cabin cool little venue with great folks.

OK, now to the goodness.

BOOKED & HOOKED

The Shakedown is in full swing and adding a cool element to the music scene. I’ve known The Shakedown owner Hollie Huthman for over 10 years and she’s been dreaming of a live music venue over much of that time. It’s a great, great joy to see her dream fulfilled Hollie is one of the best people you can come across in the music scene and her hard work will be a huge benefit to the music community. Congrats to Hollie for making her dream come true and doing what she loves in life! Marty Watson, who also owns part of the business, is another cool cat. The town is lucky to have these two working on such a fine establishment.

Speaking of new openings, the new Pickford Dreamspace makes its debut April 7! Unbelievable, it’s simply unbelievable! This theater will not only be amazing for the town’s movie fans, but it’ll open up a new venue for local movie makers. The awesomeness of this town just got turned up a couple notches. And with that, I’m proud to announce we have teamed up with the Pickford to promote music documentaries showing each month! This month, viewers can see Phil Ochs: There But For the Fortune on April 20 and The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town on April 29-May 1 (Springsteen circa ’76-’78). You can read about both films and the Pickford space on pages 14-15.

Minus the need for a constant all-ages venue (which WhAAM is working tirelessly to fix), the town has a great roster of venues covering different styles and levels of bands. And great folks own the venues too this is gonna be a good time for the music scene, my friends. Enjoy!

Book Fare Cafe, located on the second floor of Village Books in Fairhaven, will begin hosting live shows in May. The Cafe itself has a nice vibe, features local and organic fare, and is owned by great folks Charles and Christina Claassen. It’ll make a great atmosphere to see some live music. Hell, even if there isn’t live music, go check it out great food and fare there. Contact Karen Kunkel at kunkelk85@gmail.com.

The Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival will be back beginning May 5, running for three days. The lineup is still being worked out, but the in the mean time, you can help them by donating to their Kickstarter account. Turns out putting a festival on isn’t cheap and they could use some funds to make it happen. Look ‘em up at www.kickstarter.com. Seriously. This is important.

Yellingham’s line up was announced and it is, simply, amazing. The fest runs from April 15-17 and will be at different places throughout town (hence why I have to be vague about the scene). You can find details on Facebook, so check it out. The bands include Helms Alee (holy crap!), Baltic Cousins, Wildildlife, RVIVR, Karl Blau, Yr Heart Breaks and about 30 others (literally), all performing in spaces like basements and living rooms across town… all organized underground. I love it.

Serious Black have decided to reunite for a weekend love affair to celebrate the release of the album they recorded in 2009, but never released. Friday night, April 29, is a super secret all-ages show (check Facebook for details, I guess not so super secret any more) while Saturday is at the Shakedown with Tearamanapart and Traditions. There’s a rumor going around that Logan will perform the entire show wearing assless chaps.

Record Store Day is April 16 and like last year, Avalon will be hosting a free show outside their shop with Kasey Anderson, The Slacks, Tearamanapart, Swayze, Vaughn Kreestoe, The DTs, and Zorbatron (oh yeah!) as well as great record store day releases (many of which will be sold out by 11). So, if you love music, get to a record store, by some stuff, see some music, enjoy the day.

On April 15, Go Slowpoke will reunite with original members Handsome Rob Stauffer and Sexy Joel Myrene. Peter’s just always awesome, it being his project, so I don’t have a good nickname for him yet. Like it when these three play music together, good things happen.

ON THE ROAD

Sugar Sugar Sugar, Yogoman Burning Band and Dog Shredder recently went on separate trips down the West Coast and back. I love that idea the fine folks in the East Bay getting some Yogoman, then some Sugar Sugar Sugar, then getting some Dog Shredder a day or two later. Somebody with a drink in their hand going, “Wait, this band is from Bellingham too? WOW!”

Daniel Anderson is in Ireland as of right now, playing guitar with Hyro Da Hero and things are “blowin’ up.” They have some amazing tours lined up that will blow your mind when we can officially report them. He said the shows are insane and the crowd response is beyond anything he could have imagined. Stay tuned for more from Daniel, could be a wild ride in 2011.

COMINGS & GOINGS

Sadly, Marriage has called it a day with their final performance being the What’s Up! birthday party. Pretty disappointing as the band was quickly becoming loved in town. They had all the makings for a long-term love of mine with their weird, spacey, and interesting music.

The Half Bees are back in action after a long hiatus. Not sure why there was a hiatus, but they’re back in the fold, and that’s all that matters.

Bad Tenants (who know Simon Pegg making them one of the coolest bands I’ll ever know) have signed with Live Vision Management out of Vancouver and will be touring with Moka Only beginning in May. A couple weeks ago they played the Mission Impossible 4 wrap party I’m guessing these boys will be raising their profile in 2011… wow, that was an understatement.

RECORDS & RELEASES

Torero have finished their debut record and it’s been sent off to the masters. So, look for new goods from this godhead band very soon, hopefully within a month or so. Watch for a story in these very pages right about the same time. Sexy.

Also coming out with a new album is the Sweet Dominiques, which will be available in early April, according to the band. Titled Record Store Rumble, it features 17 songs of songwriting goodness. Watch for a release in the upcoming month.

The Bright Weapons released their latest, The Monster Baby EP, on bandcamp, (brightweapons.bandcamp.com) and it is good… VERY good. Of course, would you expect anything less from the infamous Handsome Rob Stauffer, Russell Jander and Amy Gibson? It’s like an awesome all star group! Oh yeah, the songs were recorded by Tim Brown and mixed by Chris Vita, making it five for five in badasses.

Last month we mentioned Death Cab for Cutie is releasing their latest album on May 31, Codes and Keys. They’ve added a little bit of love that locals will especially dig. Along with the album they are releasing a DVD called “Live from the Mt. Baker Theatre.” Guess the shows went so well it was worthy of releasing. You’ll have people from all over the world buying this DVD and seeing Bellingham. From what I understand, it’s not just the shows, but there are interviews with the band as they talk about their time here (where they got their start). Look for reviews of the DVD and new album in the May or June issues.

The Lonely Forest have released Arrows on Atlantic Records. Along with sharing a label with Death Cab, they’ll be sharing the stage when the boys join in on nine days of their upcoming tour. Unfortunately, the tour doesn’t take them to Bellingham this time around as they’ll be playing primarily on the East Coast along with dates in LA and San Francisco.

Polecat are releasing their debut album on April 8 at the American Museum of Radio. So, if you wanna, ya know, have a good time, you should go to the show. I can guarantee anyone going to the show will have an unbelievably good time. It’s the way of Polecat!

The Knowgooders, which features Bellingham’s own Andrew Frazier on turn tables, have released their last album. Featuring a couple of ex-pats, it’s more badass hip hop from the burgeoning local scene.

Candysound have been recording their latest EP, though there is no official release date as of yet. In the mean time, you can go to singer/guitarist Teo Crider’s bandcamp page where he’s put up almost 300 songs of his solo material. Clear the schedule, ‘cuz it’s Teo time.

Mount Vernon’s own $hit Machine (which features Faith from the Trucks) have released their debut CD. It hasn’t crossed county lines yet, but we hope to have our hands on a copy in time for a review either next month or the following.

Pirate Pirate Motorhome just got home from a nice tour (which you can read about in this issue’s Tales from the Road on page 34) and have just released their latest CD. The band’s been plugging away in town for a while and really starting to find their sound. Check ‘em out.

That’s about it for this month. As always, please follow us on Facebook where we do frequent posts of the day as well as preview shows with vids. Thank you to all who read and support our monthly music mag. Lots of great stuff this month, enjoy yourselves.

Hugs and kisses, Brent

editor@whatsup-magazine.com

What's Up Cover - March 2011. Design by Mitch Vega

As you might’ve picked up from the cover a great illustration done by Mitchell Vega it’s our 13th birthday! We’re teenagers now! Our voice is cracking, we’re getting hair on our chest and something weird is happening “down there.”

Thirteen years ago, myself and Sean Spain, with the help of Amy Marchegiani, published the debut issue of What’s Up! Magazine. The first issue was put out on a mix between campus computers we’d work in the computer lab till all hours in the morning though none of us were students and some little computer that had barely enough memory to run the programs for text documents. We had an office down by the library ($350 so big Sean ended up living in it for a couple of months), very little money and a real desire to do something cool for the Bellingham music scene. For reference, in 1998, the iMac had JUST been released, the iPod wouldn’t be invented for three years and e-mail was just starting to be used as a form of communication the magazine’s first e-mail address was my first e-mail address. Oh yeah, we didn’t have a website not many folks did at that point, certainly not small publications and demos that were dropped off generally were on tape, though “bigger” bands would duplicate recordings onto CD. So, it was a different world at a different time.

The town was vastly different as well there were, approximately, 15,000 less people in Bellingham and the music scene, while pretty cool, wasn’t anything like it is today. The top bands – Death Cab For Cutie, Sharpie, Eureka Farm, Pacer, Federation X were unbelievable and even now, 13 years later, are some of the best the town has ever seen. But, it was different – the overall support for the music scene just wasn’t there. There were no venues the size of the Wild Buffalo and if there were, there was no way they could have been at capacity three nights in a row, like what happened at the end of February. Sunday shows never happened no one would ever come out to ‘em and if there was a big show happening in town and you had a different show going, you could assume no one would be at yours. In their heyday, Man or Astroman would draw 225-250 people at the 3B. Over 10 years later, they drew 450 at the Wild Buffalo – that was the night after Delhi 2 Dublin was sold out BEFORE the show even started. The town has changed and in spite of what some old timers will say, the change has generally been for the better (though, I do miss the 3B).

In short, it was a fun town… but holy crap it’s fun now. This isn’t any kind of new revelation I talk about this damn near every month. I love this town love the people of the town, love the energy, and most importantly, I love the music scene. For 13 years, I’ve made the music scene my job month after month, following people making good music (and sometimes bad music). My life has changed dramatically over those 13 years but along the way, I always had What’s Up! I didn’t intend for the mag to last this long, but I feel lucky and blessed that it has. So, I guess what I’m saying is, thanks for letting me do this each month. It’s a pretty cool job.

Who could turn 13 without a great little birthday party? Come by on Monday, March 28 at the Cabin Tavern with The Strange Boys, Natural Child, The Clefts, and Marriage! Headliners The Strange Boys are one of my favorite bands a mix between the 13th Floor Elevators, The Rolling Stones (Out of Our Heads Era) and Jesus and Mary Chain seriously cool stuff.

Last month, I touched on the two new venues happening in town The Shakedown and the new all-ages venue. Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news.

First, the good news. The Shakedown will be ready to rock, opening up on St. Patrick’s Day with Peader McMahon, 8 Hand Reel and MacArra playing Irish music all night long. The following day, Harkonen is reuniting with Lozen, Dog Shredder and Swayze opening up (Lupe Flores’s new band with members of Mico De Noche). Then, for the grand opening night, on March 19, The Shakedown will be rolling out a six-band bill half of which is confirmed as of press time. Slated to play are the Rooftops, The Slacks and Marriage but there’s talk of some mind blowing additions to the line up as if those three bands aren’t cool enough! For old timers who’ve been clamoring for a 3B style venue, our dreams have come true.

Now for the bad news. The planned WhAAM/Make.Shift space has, unfortunately, fallen through. The landlord pulled the plug on the project, leaving the groups without a space. Those who support WhAAM/Make.Shift as well as the donors to the kickstarter project should not worry they are pressing on with finding a new spot and will now be doing that with even more community support and money in their account. So, if anyone has any great leads on a space, please e-mail info@makeshiftproject.com.

VENUE NEWS

The Blue Horse Gallery, located at 301 W. Holly, is now a cool jazz club/cafe featuring not only jazz, but some Americana, spoken word and singer/songwriter events as well. A welcome addition to our local scene, the place is really intimate and has great sound. Check it out, you’ll dig it!

The Pickford is oh so very close to opening up, though as of press time, there is no official date. Michael Falter, the Program Director at the Pickford, was cool enough to take me on a tour of the new space and it is seriously, seriously amazing. We were having a great conversation, then we sat down in the new seats and Michael and I just stopped talking – the seats were just that comfortable. The way the seats slope, especially in the smaller room, is unbelievable there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

Take a snapshot of that area and look at potential evening entertainment: We’ve got the Wild Buffalo, Woods (which has plans for live music), The Pickford, The Temple Bar, The Cabin, and The Blue Horse Gallery not to mention Bayou just sitting there with some killer food. This is gonna be a damn cool hot spot for Bellingham within a few months.

RECORDS & RELEASES

Death Cab for Cutie has one member living in town, which makes ‘em local for us. And with that, I’ll mention their latest release, Codes and Keys, which will be released on May 31 through Atlantic Records. The band has a few tour dates confirmed including Sasquatch on May 28, hopefully they’ll be play in town again sometime soon. I’ve been told it has more of a Brian Eno feel to it, which makes me very, very happy.

The Violins are releasing their debut recording, Before We Die, on March 3 with a show at the Old Foundry on March 5. Have I mentioned how I like this band before? ‘Cuz I do A LOT! I’m especially glad they changed their named from Caulfield and his Magical Violin to The Violins way easier to deal with.

My friends, let me talk to you about a newish band called Plant Party. They’ve played a few shows here and there and developed a cool little off-kilter Americana sound. The band will be releasing a new recording mid-March with a CD release in April. I love ‘em, you will too.

Also releasing music in April, though deserving of mention now, is the mighty Polecat. And when I say mighty, I mean MIGHTY. I love this band, I love this band, I love this band, I love this band. They could make a room full of zombies dance til their legs fell off. Check ‘em out on April 8 at the American Museum of Radio & Electricity. Easily one of the best bands in town, so watch for the recorded goods.

The dynamic duo No-Fi Soul Rebellion is releasing a maxi-single on March 22 featuring the new song “Glass Eyes” as well as two other unreleased B-sides. It’s been a while since Mark and Andrea Heimer released some new material, so this makes me a little giddy. The world is a better place when No-Fi is releasing music.

Holy crap the new Baltic Cousins record is good!

If yer a Bellingham old schooler, you’ll dig what ya find at http://bellinghamrecordings.blogspot.com/. Downloadable and free are the unreleased Party Favorites album from 2003 as well as a couple Qualuude County Country Band albums from 2005. Am I happy about this? Absolutely. Will there be reviews, finally, of two great and legendary Bellingham bands? Again, absolutely.

COMINGS & GOINGS

Trevor Spencer, formerly of Addition, About Sprout and Skinny Whiskers, has a new band with Stephen Seed of the Violins, Drew Fitchette of the Rooftops and Sam Hutchens of the Mission Orange called Sea Shorts. They’ll be playing The Violins release show on March 5 at the Old Foundry with Karl Blau and the Palisades. I love me an all-star line up!

Zorbatron is on “hiatus” for now while the band tries to figure out what to do about their drummer situation. Aaron Roeder, the king shit on the stool, badly injured his hand awhile back and has been unable to play. So, while they try to figure out if/when Aaron’s hand will heal, Zorbatron is taking a break.

My favorite prog-metal lunatics, Dog Shredder, are heading back out on tour in March for a week down the West Coast. So, watch the news for melted faces in California, Oregon and parts beyond. Then watch for a story on the boys in the next issue.

Ex-Black Eyes and Neckties members, Ryan, Davey and Brenda have formed a new band called Rookery. Shows will be announced, but expect some cool happenings really, really soon.

Forgot to mention a while back that So Adult has a new drummer. His name is Erik Wallace and shouldn’t be confused with Eric “Ace” Wallace of Black Breath fame, ‘cuz that’s someone different. Former drummer, Bo Stewart, apparently realized you don’t have to be in four awesome bands, that two awesome bands is probably time consuming. So, he’s focusing his time as a touring member of BOAT as well as the Shook Ones, who apparently will be hitting the road again soon.

GOOD TIMES

Wild Out Wednesdays at the Wild Buffalo has been bringing in some cool live shows as well Murs in February and Jahdan Blakkamoore, Jah Sun and the Redemotion and DJ Coup on April 6. These guys aren not screwing around with their reggae they’re not just a bunch of trustafarians spinning Bob Marley records Ryan I and Triple Crown (along with other Blessed Coast DJs) live, breath and eat good reggae and all the subgenres associated with it. You doubt the night? Check out Murs’s video about his show in Bellingham. The phrase “out of control” was said nine times in a two-minute vid. Good times.

The second round of the Band Lottery will be held at Jinx on April 2. Sign up is on March 15 and the drawing will be by March 17, so that leaves about two weeks for bands to get together. The first lottery was a resounding success everyone had a great time, cool band names were had and surprisingly, some good music was made. If you can play an instrument, even a bit, then sign up, it’s gonna be a hell of a good time. It’s also a good way for people to get out of their comfort zone and play with some different folks. It’s another genius idea from Michelle Schutte, who is, without a doubt, one of my favorite people in town.

Well, I think that’s about it for this month. We’ve been updating our facebook page every day, so please “like” us. More good stuff to announce next month, so stay tuned!

Hugs and kisses, Brent Cole

editor@whatsup-magazine.com